Arms race fears after Syria weapons moves

Source : Shanghai Daily

FEARS of a foreign-fed arms race in Syria grew yesterday as European Union nations decided they could give weapons to the outgunned rebels and Russia disclosed it has a contract to sell the Syrian government anti-aircraft missiles.

Each development could significantly raise the firepower in a two-year civil war which has already killed more than 70,000 people.

It also comes as the US and Russia are preparing for a major peace conference in Geneva that diplomats have called the best chance yet to end the bloodshed in the Middle East country.

The EU move late on Monday lifting an arms embargo on Syria sparked broad political fallout within hours.

Russia criticized the decision and acknowledged its anti-aircraft missile sale.

In Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called the EU's decision "a manifestation of double standards" and accused the European Union of "throwing fuel on the fire" by letting its arms embargo on Syrian expire, saying it would hurt prospects for the Geneva talks, which are expected to take place next month.

Ryabkov confirmed that Russia had signed a contract with Assad's government to provide S-300 air defense missiles, which he said were important to prevent foreign intervention in the country. Ryabkov would not say whether any of the missiles had been shipped to Syria.

"We think this delivery is a stabilizing factor and that such steps in many ways restrain some hotheads ... from exploring scenarios in which this conflict could be given an international character with participation of outside forces, to whom this idea is not foreign," he told reporters.

An official in Britain's Foreign Office said: "We have stated that we have made no decision to supply arms to Syria. At the same time, Russia has acknowledged publicly that it is providing weapons to the Assad regime. Of course we disapprove strongly of continued arms sales to the regime."

Britain and France, which opposed renewing the arms embargo, have made it clear that they reserve the right to send arms immediately, despite an agreement by European countries to put off potential deliveries until August 1.

In Damascus, a Syrian lawmaker criticized the EU move, saying efforts to arm the rebels would discourage the opposition from seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict.

In contrast, Louay Safi, a senior figure in the main Western-backed Syrian opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, called the EU move a "positive step."

The US and other Western powers fear that any European weapons could fall into the hands of extremists.

"We have no guarantees about the end user," Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said. "So it is perfectly possible to see arms disappear in the hands of extremists and jihadists. And, second, it is a real proliferation. There are enough arms in the field, not only in Syria but also in the neighboring countries."

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said: "Germany will not deliver any weapons to the Syria conflict and we note that no other European country has expressed the intention to do so in the near future.